CHAPTER XIX
Tom makes a Find
"Gee! Come here, boys!"
It was a shout from Tom that broke the trying silence that had fallenupon Jack and his comrades at their several troughs, and at the soundthey flung down their spades, or ceased rocking the cradles, andhastened to the side of the hunter. Tom's face was flushed a brick red,which extended under his sunburn down over neck and chest and arms. Thepipe gripped between his teeth was wabbling and trembling strangely,while this habitually cool man was actually shivering with excitement.
"Boys," he said in a thin voice, as if he were dazed, "didn't we comehere fer gold, ter find somethin' to pay us fer all them weeks oftravel, fer fightin' with the Injuns, and fer all the labour we've putin here? Say, ain't thet it?"
"Guess so," answered Steve laconically, while the others nodded, somebriskly, with a smile of expectation, others with a grin; for Tom'sobvious excitement was catching, while others again jerked their headsin a curiously spasmodic manner, and stood looking at the scoutawkwardly, as if ashamed to show too much interest, and yet disclosingby the brightness of their eyes the undoubted fact that they were eagerfor his news.
"Wall!" asked Jacob. "You've struck it, eh? I ain't had time ter lookinto my little lot, but others may have done."
"And I ain't had time to get searchin' in amongst all the stuff that'sleft in my cradle," cried Tom, blurting the words out rapidly. "But yerkin see whar I am. Top of the lot of yer, jest whar all the heavy stuffis sure ter lie. Yer see, the fall is thet sharp that light stuff andgrit gets washed over the catch jest here. Only big stones and sichlikegets caught. Wall, aer that a stone?"
His face was all wrinkled with smiles, as Tom flung out the hand whichup till that moment he had held behind him. In the open palm a dirty,discoloured object of irregular shape was lying, and at a rough guess itwas nearly as large as a cricket ball. The scout turned it over, andthen moved his hand in a half-circle, bringing the object beneath theeyes of each one of his partners in turn. Then Steve stepped forward,and, taking the mass, as if it were actually only a common stone, threwit up some few inches into the air, and repeated the process. Passing itto his mouth he then tried his teeth on the surface, and finally, with aquick stride, stepping to the side of the little stream which deliveredwater to the washing troughs, he dipped the object in it, rinsed itthoroughly, and then brought it into the strong sunlight again. And nowit had changed its character. The mass was no longer soiled anddiscoloured. It was of a dull, golden colour, deeply scored here andthere where the shape was most irregular, and displaying a perfectlysmooth, rounded surface in other parts. In the very centre of thisrounded part, emerging half an inch from the golden mass was a splinterof flint, firmly embedded in the metal.
"Boys," said Steve coolly, though the little scout's eyes were strangelybright, "I 'low as this aer the evenin' when we kin have a picnic in thecamp. We ha' worked hard, and travelled far, and it aer gold we've comefer. Wall, thar it is. Thar's a nugget, ef ever I saw one, and it's tidysartin it ain't the only one as we shall drop upon. Ef thet's the case,me and you, mates, will have somethin' ter take back with us ter repayus fer all the labour. Thet bein' so, it aer clear thet it aer Jacob'sduty ter bring out thet bottle of spirits ter-night. Abe, too, might getto pretty soon and cook us a meal that'll lick anythin' we've touchedthis many a month."
There was a roar of applause as the little scout finished, and then allcrowded round to examine the nugget which Tom had discovered.
"It war the fust thing my fingers hit upon when I got to search in thetrough," said Tom, "and I wouldn't be surprised ef I found more. Mates,supposin' we gets back ter the business. That 'ere nugget ain't enoughin itself ter pay us back fer all the outlay we've put into the plant,sayin' nothin' of the labour."
It was with a feeling of eager expectation that all went back to theirtroughs, and recommenced throwing dirt into them and rocking. At the endof three hours, when they ceased work for the night, it was found thatTom's bulkhead had indeed caught the richest harvest. There were adozen nuggets to be seen, though not of the same size as that which hehad first discovered. Three more, about the size of a bean, wereunearthed from the next two troughs, while the washings of the troughsbelow were without nuggets. But the harvest of gold dust was plentiful,so good, indeed, that it became obvious at once that if only suchfortune could continue for a week, the party would pay all outgoings,the expenses of their return to New York, if need be, and still leave asum in reserve which, when divided, would give each member of the firm ahandsome sum to bank.
"But we ain't goin' ter leave in a week," said Tom with a grin ofexultation, as he sat hugging the camp fire that night and nursing apannikin of spirits. "There's dirt enough between them cliffs ter keepus going fer a year, and I looks at it this way: Ef it's rich out here,at the end of the stream, so to speak, it'll be richer still the fartherin we goes; 'cos the stream will have been more sluggish. That will haveallowed the gold ter settle, and whar thar's been big rocks andboulders, with holes and pockets in 'em, the chances aer we shall hitupon more nuggets. Of course we shan't get all the gold thar is, by aheap. Some'll be washed through the troughs, and the catch tank we'vemade won't hold it all. But, ef it's thar, as I ain't a doubt, why,we'll get enough and ter spare of it."
As the days went on it became evident that the little party had becomepossessed of a veritable gold mine, for their takings at the end of eachday were greater than those on the first occasion. But they were not allthe while engaged in rocking the cradles. There was much hard work tobe accomplished, and in this Jack took a fair share. Indeed, he workedfor hours at his anvil, forging new iron bands to bind extensions oftheir wooden waterway, or making various fittings for other parts of theplant. There were spades and picks to be repaired now and again, thoughnot so often as would have been the case had they not pressed water intotheir service.
When he had a few idle moments, nothing delighted him more than toclamber towards the point where the gigantic nozzle was secured in itswooden cradle, to watch the jet of water surging from it, and to see thestream splay out as it leaped into the open, and then dash itself intothousands and thousands of the minutest drops as it struck the tremblinggravel. There was something wonderfully fascinating about the iridescentcolours which played to and fro in the spray, as the sun's raysflickered and poured upon it. There was a note which was almost musicalcoming from the very lip of the nozzle, while without cessation therewas the slither of loosened stones and dirt, the thud of heavier piecesand of boulders, and, on occasion, when the jet had undermined thegravel to some great extent, a mighty, awe-inspiring commotion, as tonsupon tons of material came thundering down.
If he tired of the neighbourhood of the jet, of that fascinating gushand gurgle of water, and of the rainbow colours which played about thespray so long as the sun's rays fell, he had merely to step down a fewpaces, and there was more to interest him. For, from the point where thewater played, a surging stream tumbled and roared downhill in the hugechannel prepared for it--a yellow, dirty flood, as if the water camefrom a river after heavy falls of rain. Who would have thought to lookat that yellow stream that it contained riches, riches long hidden inthe gravel, scoured from the rocks of past ages, and lying for many acentury undisturbed in the river bed? Riches, too, which man's industryand courage and astuteness were now bringing to light, and separatingfrom its grosser surroundings.
"Though I don't know as it aer always fer the best," soliloquized Steveone day, as he stood watching the scene with Jack beside him. "This herehunt fer gold don't always lead ter goodness. Thar's a sight of badblood made over it, either here, at the diggin's, or way back in thesettlements. In the first place, it seems ter me that the scum of theearth collects whar the men aer at work, lookin' ter make theirfortunes--thieves, and gamblers, and sichlike--hangin' about like a setof jackals, ter take the stuff from the men who find it. Thar's murdersbeen committed, Jack."
"I know, to my cost," answered our hero after a while; for up till now
he had never ventured to tell his comrades that his own father had losthis life at the diggings. "A--a relative of mine was shot in one of thesaloons out in California. He was murdered."
There was silence between them for a while, and then Steve spoke.
"Ah!" he said, as if he had been thinking deeply and looking back intothe distance; "them murders was frequent some ten years ago. Out here inCaliforny thar was the biggest set of blackguards round the camps thatwas ever ter be met with. They ran saloons, and robbed the men as wentthar, robbed 'em not only by providin' spirits that were so bad thatthey pisoned a fellow, while the price was that big it frightened yer,but robbed them at cards and games of chance. Then thar was bands thatheld up the gold trains makin' fer Sacramento and other cities, to bankthe riches thar. And thar was scoundrels that looked like ordinaryminers, and acted the part, but all the while they was ready fer murder,so long as they could steal the gold which others had made. I could tellyer a yarn about one of that sort, only jest now it wouldn't kinder suitthis here place, it's that peaceful; and when I get to think of that'ere ruffian, and tell of his treachery, why, it brings a bad tasteinter the mouth, and one seems ter see quite different. One of thesedays I'll tell yer about him, and, ef yer like, yer can give me youryarn."
The very mention of such a matter sent Jack's thoughts back to the timewhen he was but a little fellow. He could remember his mother's griefwhen his father left for the diggings, and the great hope which he andhis wife had that the trip he was about to make would prove successfuland help them out of their troubles. He could cast his mind back, too,to that fatal day when the news came that Tom Kingsley had been killedin a brawl with his partner; that he had, in fact, been murdered. But hewas too young at the time to feel the loss so greatly, though the talehad never escaped his memory. And then his thoughts wandered to his owntroubles.
"They seem as far off almost as Father's death," he said to himself. "Inever thought, when I stood in the prisoner's dock at Hopeville, that Ishould ever be happy again. Yet I have had a thoroughly jolly time, andI feel somehow as if the future would be clear, as if I should get tothe bottom of the matter."
To look at our hero no one would for a moment have thought him capableof any criminal act. A tall, stout, sunburned young fellow he looked,and as he stood beside the stream there, his sleeves rolled to hiselbow, his wide-brimmed hat tilted back till his red hair shone in thesun, one could not but admit that he looked happy, that he carriedhimself as every young fellow should, with that appearance ofself-assurance and happiness which is common to youth, and with a steadylook in his blue eyes and a fine poise of his head which spoke ofresolution, of a conscience clear of all guilt. When he took himself tohis anvil, and made the sparks fly, why, even Tom would come along andwatch him.
"Gee!" he had exclaimed more than once. "He's as mild-lookin' as milk.Who would ha' thought as that 'ere young chap could ha' took Steve inhand! But Steve says himself as he felt like a chicken, and had ter doas he war bid. That jest goes ter show that it ain't always wise tojudge by appearances. I mind a young chap, with stoopy shoulders and abit of fluff on his lips, as looked as ef he couldn't do more than say'boo!' to a goose. But when one of the rough chaps we has now and aginout on the plains set in ter play larks with him, why, that 'ere youngfellow kinder shook off his soft looks and went in and hammered the chapas was playin' larks. Jack's one of them sort, only he don't never looksoft. And, gee! he can work, kin thet young feller."
Our hero did indeed earn a fair share of the reward the party wasgaining, and, being a jovial fellow, ready to listen to all the yarnsthat were going, and not anxious to pose as being better than hiscomrades, it followed that he was immensely popular, particularly whenSteve, a well-known scout, had spoken so warmly as to his grit andcourage.
"There's jest one thing that ain't right about that 'ere young Carrots,"he had observed more than once in his hard, dry-as-dust manner. "Jackaer got something up agin him, and it has made a heap of play on hismind. Reckon he got into a muss 'way back in the settlements, andcouldn't clear hisself. But he will. That chap sticks to things he takesup, and ef he wants ter clear hisself of that muss, why, guess he'll doit. Tom, jest pass along that 'ere keg of 'bacca. Yer ain't the only oneas smokes."
Good friends they all were, though not often given to much conversation.They worked at the cradles or at repairing their plant from sunrise inthe morning, and only broke off at evening, save for a few moments whichwere devoted to meals. It was when they had eaten their supper, andpipes were going, that the natural silence and taciturnity of the scoutwas broken before the warmth of the camp fire. Then, as the darkness gotdeeper, first Tom perhaps, then Steve, or Jacob, or Abe, or one of theothers, would tell some tale of their experiences--experiences whichdealt for the most part with Indians, with thieves, or with some huntingexpedition.
"Boys," said Tom one evening, having puffed clouds of smoke from hislips, "we ha' been at this here place jest a couple of months, and meand Steve has been thinkin'. It aer time we weighed up that 'ere gold,and sent it down to the town. Yer see, one never knows when thieveswon't come along, and, though they ain't likely ter touch sich a strongparty as we aer, still they might get the stuff by a bit of cheek anddaring. What say, Jacob?"
"I'm with you, Tom. The bank's the best place fer the gold, and thesooner we send it thar the better. Supposin' we weigh out now."
It required a full hour to weigh carefully their gains, and when thework was completed Jack understood, to his amazement, that a sum was dueto him which would enable him to live in comfort for a dozen years. Theshare of Jacob and the other hunters was less: but it was by no means aninconsiderable sum, for the mine had proved most rich.
"Now we have another proposition," said Tom, grinning at the circlearound him. "Thar's heaps of gold fer us all in this here place. Ibelieve that we ain't yet a while struck the richest spot, so thar'slikely enough more ter come. Now me and Steve and Carrots thar ha' hadanother jaw. We aer prepared ter let you six chaps buy up even shareswith us. Jack'll have to pay something, fer he ain't got quite an equalshare with us, and in course yer will have ter pay a heap more. Butye've the stuff here, and when ye've paid thar'll be still a goodishpile fer each man to bank. How do yer look at the proposition?"
It required no discussion to induce the six scouts to do as Tom hadproposed. Indeed, the proposition was extremely handsome. And when theterms were finally fixed, Jack found himself with still more to hiscredit.
"Now we'll fix about taking the stuff," said Tom. "Steve here'll bossthe party; and, sence we ain't got no need fer an anvil jest now, why,Carrots had best go with him. Reckon two more had better volunteer, andthat'll be sufficient."
The following day the gold was divided up and placed in sacks, whichwere lashed across the backs of two of the horses. Then the party setout from the camp, and turned their faces towards the nearest town.
"Now we've got ter fix up some sort of arrangement as ter watchin',"said Steve, once the mine was left behind. "Thar's me, and Jack, andAbe, and old Tom ter do the work; and though I don't fear that anyone'llattempt ter take this stuff from us, still they ain't all gentlemen inthese here parts, and it aer jest as well ter be careful. See?"
"You bet!" exclaimed Abe. "When I was down in the settlements last week,buying pork and flour and sichlike, thar war a tale that a band oflight-fingered gentry was out and had held up more'n one convoy withgold. That was up Sacramento way. But them thieves shift their groundwhen things get warm, and always when they hear that a party aer gettin'gold."
"Which they ain't done in our case," asserted Steve. "Thar's not a oneof us as has blabbed about the gold; and though men has come along andwatched us fer a time, they aer gone away again every time thinkin' usfools fer our pains most likely. Still, there ain't never no sayin'.Someone may have been watchin' and spyin'."
Had the little band of friends but known it, this was a method employedby a party of rascals who had infested the goldfields for some littlewhile. Separating, and each dres
sed as a miner, the members of this bandhad kept watch at the various diggings; and whenever information hadreached one that a convoy of gold was to leave the particular place hewas observing, a message brought together all his comrades, and in manycases a seizure of the gold resulted. One such individual had for thepast week lain at the top of the cliff, keeping watch on Tom and hiscomrades; and though he had never been sure that they were gatheringgold from the dirt washed out of the cliff, still their obviouscheerfulness, their untiring industry and labour, more than halfconvinced him. And at length the preparations for Steve's departurecarried conviction to his mind.
"That's gold, sure, in them sacks they're putting on the hosses," hesaid to himself. "Time I was movin'."
He retreated from the cliff stealthily, gained a spot some two milesaway, where he had secured his horse beneath a tree, and, mountingrapidly, galloped off to take the news to his comrades.
"You kin never be sure," repeated Steve; "and, thet bein' the case,we'll march as ef we was in the enemy's country, as ef Injun varmint wasskirmishin' round us. Jack and Tom'll ride beside the hosses, while meand Abe'll scout about."
"While I suggest something likely to help," cried Jack. "We've got threehorses with us, two of which carry the gold, while the third has ourgrub and blankets strapped to his back. Now, if we change the loads, andmake the grub and blankets look as if they were the gold, then, in caseof a surprise, we might still manage to beat any who happened to attackus."
"Gee! That aer a bright idea!" cried Steve. "Carrots, fer all yerquietness, you ha' got somethin' in yer. In course we can swap thethings around, and sence it don't make no odds ef gold dust aer put inbags or in blankets, supposin' we pack it in the blankets and fill thebags that aer got the gold now with grub and other things."
The precaution was one which might be useful in case of an attack, andin consequence a halt was made and the change effected. Then theypressed on, Jack and Tom riding beside the loaded animals, while thehorse which from outward appearance carried their swags--by which termminers generally understood their personal belongings and food wasmeant--bore in fact the wealth of gold gathered from the mine. Nor wasit long before Jack and his friends had cause to congratulate themselveson their foresight; for they were to meet with trouble before theycompleted their journey.